Thanks to two black dogs who persist in flopping down on the thickest patches of grass all over town, my lawn envy is especially intense this year.
Last fall, when the blacker of the two started concluding our morning walks by commando-crawling a block of the lush green carpet that fringes sidewalks at the neighborhood elementary school, I made a private promise to do something to improve the conditions at home.
Last month, I made good on my commitment, hiring a pro to aerate, overseed and fertilize, and even water a little.
Count in the win column the wide east yard that had been prepped the summer before by happy hens doing what hens do. But the dogs seem unimpressed. The back, front and black- diamond west lawns remain disaster zones of epic proportions. Almost every day, I catch one of the dogs sneaking over to roll in a shady side yard next door that’s tended by people with a greater commitment to the green than I can muster.
I’m OK with this minor failure in service to lawn and beast — there’s plenty of grass out there for them and me to appreciate. I may be complacent, but there is no harm in taking joy in the hard work of someone else. Dana Coffield, The Denver Post
